Wearing Brooklyn Pride

Christina Knight | August 30, 2012 4:00 AM

A New Look in Town: Brooklyn Nets

Left: Nadav Sered-Schoenberg, 12, spotted in Manhattan on the corner of East 4th Street and Broadway. Right: Justin, 13, at Sportime Tennis club in Quogue, Long Island. Photos: MetroFocus/ C. Knight.

Nadav Sered-Schoenberg, 12, Chicago resident

Q:Why did you pick this shirt?
A: ‘Cause it’s a newer thing. I wanted a simple thing with a new logo.
Q: Can you wear this shirt in Chicago?
A: Yeah, there’s no rivalry. The Bulls’ rivals would be the Bucks or Pacers.
Q: Do you have any associations with Brooklyn? Things it makes you think of?
A: Jackie Robinson. The first African-American baseball player [in the Major League]. I know he played for the Dodgers when they were in Brooklyn.
Q: Have you ever been to Brooklyn
A: No. It’s my second time in New York, first time in the city. We only have this afternoon and tomorrow. We’re going back to Chicago. I have a friend from Brooklyn and he’s always talking about what sport teams he likes in New York.
(Nadav’s father interjects.) “His great aunt grew up in Brooklyn.”
“I never knew that,” Nadav answered.

Justin, 13, Manhattan resident

Q:Why are you wearing that shirt?
A: ‘Cause it’s cool and I like the colors.
Q: Do you like the team?
A: (Shrugs). I’m a Knicks fan.
Q: How would you rate Brooklyn on a scale of 1 to 10?
A: (Another shrug). I don’t go there a lot.
Q: What makes Brooklyn different?
A: The culture.

MetroFocus recently met two early adopters of Brooklyn Nets wear. Nadav Sered-Schoenberg, 12, was on a short visit to Manhattan from Chicago. His family are big NBA fans and he had just purchased his shirt that day at the NBA store on Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan. His father had wanted a Brooklyn Nets “sneaker” shirt, actually called a “corner” shirt, for himself, but the only one left at the NBA store wasn’t his size.

The shirt is one of the Nets’ best sellers, according to the Modell’s Sports Authority located across the street from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. MetroFocus also interviewed a manager of Modell’s about the boom in business, thanks to Nets gear.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Tags: arts and culture, city living, economy, Visual Arts

http://www.facebook.com/jasmine.p.hernandez.3 Jasmine AlphaPhoenix Hernandez

OMG!!! Congrats—this is soo well deserved! Your tee’s are thought provoking and fashionable at the sametime. Keep up the good work! :O)))
Nostalgia or racism?

Are you new to Brooklyn because it has only been called “Atlantic Ave – Pacific St” for a few years now… not sure what you are getting so sentimental about. I’m guessing you didn’t live here then.

Maybe it’s less nostalgia about the subway stop and more fear of those “urban” youth who like to watch basketball. You know the ones I’m talking about … Wink wink.

Really?

The point is not nostalgia for that name, and it definitely isn’t racism?? The point is a corrupt criminal BRITISH OWNED BANK ie. BARCLAY’s bought the naming rights to subway station for the first time in NYC history. For…200K a year. They are marketing in your face, taking your money, and will still increase your fares, and to boot the arena Barclay’s arena, will also take your money ( after grazing the neighborhood) and put it in Ratner, Jay Z and a Russian Oligarch’s pockets. What on earth you think this has to do with racism or urban youth is beyond anyone’s understanding. Unless of course…you have no idea where this is or what this about? Check yourself buddy. Not sure how changing the name to corrupt British Bank evokes a fear of “urban youth” but seriously you might want to check YOURSELF.

Check yourself

The MTA had been trying to sell naming rights to subway stations since as early as 2004: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/24/nyregion/24naming.html. Don’t blame the buyer, blame the seller.

Maybe I don’t know where this is? It’s right down the street from where I live. Maybe you don’t understand that most of the complaining about Barclay’s around here has more to do with what is being brought to the neighborhood. Park Slope is all up in arms about the liquor license at the arena, as well as the businesses, bars and restaurants that may open in its wake. The response when a hip hop club tried to open its doors near by last year was appalling. Yes, much of it comes off as thinly veiled racism.

Really?

Who cares that they thought about in 2004, that’s irrelevant. Thinly veiled racism is the RNC and this project. Do you recall that this project was supposed to be about housing, and jobs, for the surround “long time” non park slope residents? Do you recall that local people were promised affordable housing and union jobs? Do you remember that? Do you remember that people lived where you are now going to go to a concert or basketball game? This shirt has nothing to do with liquor licenses or that restaurant. I would agree in fact that some of that argument about the liquor licenses has thinly veiled messages of racism. But your insistence that this ties in to the point or message of this shirt, is a projected stretch. This statement IS blaming the Seller, and the Buyer. This shirt/sentiment has nothing to do with hip hop, or liquor licenses. And the buyer is actually you and I, the tax payer. I have not paid attention to the liquor license or bars opening there “now.” All that is just “I told you so arguments about a project that was rammed down everyone’s mouths,” with our tax dollars. And now we are supposed to be excited that in less than a month 19,000 more people (who incidentally don’t live in the neighborhood and who most likely after the Barbra Streisand or Beiber concert and what not are people that you would not want to associate with,? Just a guess) will ascend onto an area that has nary an increased subway or police or services presence. This sentiment, this shirt has to do with what that name change represents. Ie. that a corrupt British Bank bought the rights from a CASH STRAPPED MTA, on top of the largest land graze, in the name of housing, jobs and hoops. The surrounding businesses are closed. People of color, rich and poor were living there, running those businesses and were and are against that project. I don’t live in Park Slope, I listen to hip hop even, and I definitely like to go to bars. All of those things were there already, ie. bars. Ratner, The British Bank, The Russian Billionaire have done their damage. If you think those entities care about hip hop, jobs or what happens after the game, to you or I or anyone or anything other than their pockets, then I’m happy for you, really. This has everything to do with corruption – of all shades of human. But as long as we’re quoting the Times, remember this little gem? he New York Times reported 5/26/04:
“It’s a problem of malls in dense urban areas that kids hang out there, and it’s not too positive for shopping,” Mr. Ratner said. “Look, here you’re in an urban area, you’re next to projects, you’ve got tough kids.” Hmm, uncover this veil a bit.

anon

You realize that having the name Barclays center on the MTA map makes it easier to find, right?
Really?

you realize that it’s not a name on a map, it’s an actual station name now. And if you all dislike “new comer hipsters” who do you think it is that needs a sign on a map to tell them where Atlantic Avenue is? Oh, right, people who don’t live her.
do the right thing

I hope you are using all of the proceeds from this shirt to fight for the promised affordable housing and jobs that allowed this project to take advantage of eminent domain. I hope you aren’t just profiting from a bad situation
Really?

Um What? Sorry that does not make sense.

Alan

It was always Atlantic Avenue on one end of the station complex and Pacific Street on the other. Everyone called the entire station “Atlantic-Pacific”, even before the signs started to combine the two names. Just because that wasn’t the official name doesn’t mean it’s some newfangled temp invention.

Scott

Seriously. This Lara Ewan “frankly” doesn’t “know anyone in Brooklyn who’s in support of that center”? She definitely needs to expand her circle by interacting with people outside of her little naval gazing slice of brownstone BK. And this guy Kevin Thomas says that Brooklyn has “a flat-rate light-rail system to take people into the city center”? Um… what is he talking about? I guess he means the subway but this only reinforces the fact that he and all the other arena opponents who think they know Brooklyn so well are mostly just clueless, affluent, and annoying newcomers that are afraid to admit to themselves that they all just really want a quiet, arty suburb with walkable streets to live in and resent that Brooklyn is really a huge, hot mess of bustling, dynamic development and activity. I hear Portland’s economy is doing well, plenty suburban and quiet there.

Really?

Scott, who do you think is going to be attending events at the Center? Do you really think it’s people who live across the street? Careful who you hate, because in 4 weeks, they will be ALL OVER The place. And to comment on those people in the article with out a shred of knowing thing one about them is just sheer ridiculous ignorant hatred, and misinformed generalizations. Those people deal with the being in about 100 ft radius of the arena, so if I were you ( thank goodness not) I would really check what you are saying. But mostly have fun with all the “newcomers” who will be seeing all the shows in the next few months. Now that is the best ironic joke of it all. Too damn funny. This argument that anyone who opposes having YOUR tax dollars being used by a developer born and raised in CHICAGO, a BRITISH bank and a RUSSIAN BILLIONAIRE, in the name of a Jay Z concert, and a losing basketball team, and pretending they were going to bring jobs and housing etc. etc. etc. is some how a new comer ( as if that were some truly negative thing) or suburban or affluent or self serving, is just pure sucker ignorance. Is your life better from this? Do you have a job from this? Will your kids benefit from this? What is this love you seem to have for a corrupt British Bank and a Russian Billionaire taking over your neighborhood? And seriously, you are pointing fingers at people who want walkable streets? WTF? What, you want to live in garbage, with astronomical rents, no jobs, racing cars, uncrossable streets, over crowded stalled trains, and Barbara Streisand concert goers? Really? Then keep on giving your tax dollars to billionaires who don’t give a crap about anything but lining their own pockets? Makes zero sense. Go buy your $34 Nets shirt, made in China, and have a ball!

kine

since when did brooklyn have a “light-rail”?
Alan

“Brooklyner”, please… It’s always been “Brooklynite”. Look up decades of newspaper reports and public speeches.
http://profile.yahoo.com/NRQQC2YMGQRJBPPDOC4GJTRG7I Da Woman

Oh you don’t like hipsters? Enjoy this and your $18.50 lobster roll. You know who buys food like this? All the people you hate and point fingers at. Ha ha ha…you wont’ be able to afford even dessert at this thing. Pathetic Who is the hipster now? Best of luck to you all
There will be foie gras and hand-sliced ham for the big spenders, and even “caviar for Mr. Prokhorov,” said one chef, referring to Mikhail Prokhorov, the Russian billionaire and Nets majority owner. There will be pickles, pretzels and black-and-white cookies for non-billionaires.The food, branded “Brooklyn Taste,” is just one way the developer Bruce Ratner and his team plan to capitalize on the borough’s rich food culture. There is talk of offering “Brooklyn Taste” cooking classes and a cookbook.

↑ Back to top

Wearing Brooklyn Pride

Watch Now

Space Above Facebook

Funders